Garment finisher clamp



All@ 28, 1962 F. H. RICHTr-:RKl-:sslNG 3,051,358

GARMENT FINISHER CLAMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 7, 1959 Sid/wow* v Arum/ey All@ 28, 1962 F. H. RICHTERKEsslNG 3,051,358

GARMENT FINISHER CLAMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7, 1959 Aug'; 28, 1962 F. H. RICHTERKEsslNG 3,051,358

GARMENT FINISHER CLAMP Filed May '7, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug 28, 1962 F. H. RICHTERKEsslNG 3,051,358

GARMENT FINISHER CLAMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 7, 1959 INVENTOR FRANK H. RICHTERKESSING BY wfg.

ATTORNEY l it 3,051,358 GARMENT FINISHEIR CL Frank H. Richterkessing, Louisville, Ky., assignor to W. M. Cissell Manufacturing Company, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Filed May 7, 1959, Ser. No. 811,668 Claims. (Cl. 22S- 67) rllhis invention relates to garment finishers and more specifically to an improved clamping arrangement for holding the garment in place upon the finisher structure.

An object `of the invention is to provide an improved means for clamping a garment to `a rotatable finisher bag .and form.

Another object is to provide an improved perforated form and recessed clamp cooperating therewith for insuring a substantially uniform contact of processing7 fluids with a garment while clamped in position.

A further object is to provide an improved arrangement of garment finisher clamps suitable for rapid attachment to or detachment from a finisher; for rapid movement into clamping or unclamping position; and for rapid adjustment when clamping garments of different sizes.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds and when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rotatable garment finished with the bag in position.

FIG. 1A is la perspective view of the uppermost portion of the front clamp on a larger scale.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a lower portion of ya finisher showing steam connections.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the vertically adjustable, readily removable front clamp for employment with various sizes of garments.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the readily removable rear clamp.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an adaptor mounting for the clamp, the parts being shown in detached relation.

FIG. 6 is a view of the parts `shown in FIG. 5 when assembled.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the front clamp, taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 is a vertical `sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 1 and showing the guide support for the front clamp and one of its resilient clips mounted thereon.

FIG. 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 9 9 of FIG. 4 and showing a mounting for Ithe rear clamp.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a bag supporting form detached from a base assembly and with the bag removed.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a shoulder -arm swivel means.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a portion of a base =as sembly and form showing the mounting arrangement.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of aform showing a draw cable mounting `for selectively adjusting the size of the distend-able bag.

FIG. 14 is la view partly in section of a draw cable and associated parts.

FIG. 15 is a view showing the relation of `a draw cable locking means in disassembled position.

FIG. 16 is la sectional view showing the posi-tion of a draw cable locking means in assembled position.

FIG. 17 is a partial sectional view of a base assembly.

FIG. 18 is la perspective view of a portion of a base assembly.

FIG. 19 is a View to a larger scale showing the mounting and actuating means for the rear clamp without use of an adaptor.

FIG. 20 is a detail view showing the mounting of the actuating means for the front clamp without use of an adaptor and with a -second form of latch member.

FIG. 21 is an elevation view showing the means for limiting the travel of the adjustable slides of the front clamp, and

FIG. 22 i-s a view showing the ow of processing fluids through the clamped region of a garment, the bag and garment being shown to an exaggerated scale.

Referring first lto FIGS. 1 yand 2, showing a suitable form finisher with which the clamps .8 and 9 are adapted to cooperate, the base Iassembly includes a main housing 10 receiving la controlled flow of air from a blower 1'1 driven by a motor 12 through conventional belt and pulley means. A steam supply line 13 leads to a valved steam chamber and to beating coils within the base assembly. A steam return line 14 leads from the assembly and is provided with the customary valves and traps, as needed for a given installation.

A rigidly mounted, upwardly extending, hollow bracket 1'5 is disposed at one side of the base assembly and co-ntains the control leads for regulating the operation of motor 12 and of a solenoid housed in box 16 on the main housing. As will later appear, the solenoid functions to regulate the flow of processing steam from the steam chamber into the interior of the finisher bag.` A conventional hand-actuated, automatic timer 17 is preferably mounted at the extremity of bracket 15 and is so located as to be adjacent the operating control knobs for the draw cables later to be described.

Referring now to FIGS. 17 and 18, housing 10 is provided with a mounting plate 20 having an insulating open space 21 therebeneath and upon which Ithe closed bottom of a vertically mounted steam chamber 22 is adapted to rest. Extending upwardly is a tubular steam chamber conduit 23 having external collars `24 and 25. Each collar is suitably recessed to accommodate a valve actuating rod 26. Steam from line 13 enters the chamber and likewise enters an inverted spiral shaped coil 27 connected to the chamber and having radiating fins 28. From the upper portion of the coil, steam returns to the outlet line 14. At one side the housing is provided with partitions 29 and 30 to which are attached adjustable air seal members 31 and 32, respectively. A damper 33 pivotally mounted on a transverse support 34 is in contact with these seals while in closed position as shown in FIG. 17 and is raised to the dotted line position under the pressure of the air from blower 11 whenever the motor 12 is operating.

At its top portion, housing 10 mounts a flexible sealing strip 4), preferably of circular shape and which is maintained in contact with the lower surface of the superimposed form and prevents leakage of air and steam at the base of that form. A bracket 41 at the top of the steam chamber pivotally mounts a valve lever 42 to which the upper end of rod 26 is attached. Movement of that rod downwardly displaces a spring biased valve, not shown, within the steam chamber conduit and permits release of steam through apertures surrounded by a conventional metallic steam spreader 43. Contained within box 16 is a solenoid 44 connected to a crank lever 45 on one end of shaft 46. At its other end, the shaft 46 is connected to a second crank lever 47 attached to the lower end of rod 26.

Upon `actuation of the automatic timer 17, the solenoid is energized to open the valve in the steam chamber and to permit steam to escape through spreader 43. Due to seals 31, 32 and 4t), this steam can escape only 4through the pervious bag itself. At the end of the allotted time, the solenoid is made inoperative and the motor 12 is energized, thus causing the blower to force air lagainst damper 33 which lifts and permits the air to pass over the heating coils and into the bag. After the motor is cut off, the damper drops back to closed position without requiring any effort on the part of the operator.

Passing now to FIGS. and 11, -the form for supporting the finishing bag preferably includes an elongated front support member Si) extending from a generally circular perforated bottom plate 51 to a shoulder form section 52. A rear support member 53 likewise extends between the bottom plate and shoulder form, but preferably does not lie in a single plane, being offset toward the axis of the form in the central region thereof. As a significant feature'g'th'e support members 5i) and 53 are provided with a row of apertures through which processing uids may pass intorecessed clamps, as shown in FlG. 22, and have flat surfaces on eacli'side-of the apertures against whichy the resilientv edges of ,the5 clamps may be pressed to insure a tight ygrip upon a garment.

Intermediate the front and" rear members and fixed thereto, a main cross member 54 and a smaller cross member 55 are disposed, thus serving to establish a stable truss-like construction for the form. At a central location, the main cross member has a cup-like bearing 56 (FIG. l2) which ts upon the upper bearing surface of collar 25 and permits rotary motion of the form with respect to the base assembly. At a central location the bottom plate 51 is formed with a bushing 57 which surrounds the lower collar 24 and gives lateral stability to the rotatable form. A suitable framework 58 is mounted upon cross -member 54 and a porous steam bale 59, such as a small asbestos bag, may be readily hung thereover, in enveloping rotation to the steam distributor 43. This baffle serves to prevent globules of condensed steam from being forced outwardly into contact with the finisher bag. As seen in FIGS. l0 and 1l, a pair of shoul- -der arms 60 and 61 are disposed for reciprocating movement with respect to the shoulder form 52. These arms are mounted respectively upon pivotal rods 62 and 63 yand have looped garment guides 64 and 65, respectively. These guides are fixed at a lower end to their respective rods and at their upper ends to the entire exposed end of their respectivey shoulder arms.

' The rods 62 and 63 are pivotally mounted at their lower ends lin brackets 66 `and67 disposed upon the cross member 55 of the form (FIG. 1l). At its uppermost position exterior of the finisher bag, the shoulder form has a Vrotatable knob 70 to which is attached a rod 71 extending downwardly through a mounting plate 72 located between the front and rear support members of the form. A suitable spring 73 disposed between the plate and the end of the rod serves to prevent inadvertant shifting of the shoulder arms.

Adjacent plate 72, the rod 71 has a swivel arm 74 attached thereto near its center and connected to shoulder links 75 and 76` at its respective ends. The outer ends of these links are connected to the pivotal rods 62 and 63 at a point intermediate the ends of these rods. Accordingly, rotation of knob 70 in a clockwise direction, for example, decreases the width of the adjustable shoulder form and rotation in a counter-clockwise increases that width. At the front side of the form an upstanding draw cable mounting framework 80 is rigidly mounted adjacent the bottom member 51. At the rear side a mounting bracket 81 for a rear clamp is provided. The framework preferably serves to mount three draw cable control knobs 82, 83 and 84, later to be described, and is provided with a suitable recess into which the lever 85 of a -front clamp may be conveniently housed.

Referring now to FIG. 13, the `bag is adapted to be supported upon .a bag size adjusting means including a first flexible wire 90, termed a waist wire and mounted at a suitable upper location on the form structure. it will be understood that this wire, as well as the others to be described, is threaded through a peripheral cloth guide (not shown) in the interior of the finisher bag ltltl which is of a conventional material, such as nylon, or the like, and pervious to processing fluids. The -wire is passed through suitable eyelets 91 and 92 mounted on the front support member 50 and is threaded through the double pulley 93. One end of the wire is anchored to the form at the other side of the pulley. Movement of the pulley upwardly or downwardly serves to increase or decrease the periphery of the bag .at the region where the wire is aixed. Since the wire is slidably attached to the bag, processing iluid entering the bag under superatmospheric pressure distends the bag, and the garment fitted thereon, to the extent permitted by the position of the wire.

Beneath pulley 93, a suitable lost motion device, such as swivel 94, connects with a flexible push-pull cable 95 (FIG. l/l) encased in a guide casing 96 suitably mounted on the form structure. The entire cable is thus mounted upon a unitary structure and terminates in the waist control knob 84. Since it is important to lock the cable in position after having made an adjustment of the bag size and yet to be able to make .a subsequent adjustment without undue loss of time, there is provided a cable locking means as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16. For this purpose, the control knob is attached to a slide rod 97 having a non-circular cross section. This rod extends through a clutch nut 98 which is threaded upon sleeve 19 held in place upon the top of framework 8i) by a plate lock nut 191. A metal clutch washer 102 backed by a resilient bushing 10C, such as a nylon material, is disposed between the clutch nut 93 and the threaded sleeve 99. The apertures in clutch nut 98 and in metal washer 162, through which the rod 97 extends, conform in cross section to the cross sectional shape of the rod, so that they rotate together. Accordingly, when the wire 90 is adjusted to a desired periphery, turning of knob 84 through about 90180 locks the draw cable in position and when it is desiredto readjust the wire 99, turning the knob in a reverse direction the same amount releases the pressure of the clutch nut and permits the knob and attached cable to be pushed or pulled. through the nut 98. The swivel 94, of course, permits this locking and unlocking action to occur without causing a turning of pulley 93 and a kinking of the wire attached thereto.

In a similar manner, a bag adjusting means including a wire llt?, termed a hip control wire, is slidably attached to the finisher bag lil@ and through pulley 111 is operated by draw cable 112, terminating in control knob 82. Likewise, a bag adjusting means including wire 113, termed a lower control wire, is slidably attached to the bag and through pulley 114 is operated by draw cable 115 terminating in control knob 83.

As is customary in finishing buttoned garments, or garments having vents therein, it is desirable, if not essential, that means be provided to clamp the garment to the distended `bag during the operation. For the purpose of clamping the rear of the garment, such as a vented overcoat, I employ an improved three position rear clamp 9, best shown in FIGS. 4 and 19.

This clamp 8, .as in the case of the front clamp, preferably comprises a resilient metal paddle, or the like, having parallel spaced side surfaces, and `121 (FIG. 9) joined by a recessed central portion 122 and with this rear clamp being pivotally mounted by means of a bracket 7 to the extremity of a leaf spring 123. The paddle is loosely covered by a suitable fabric 124, as indicated in FIG. 22, such as a twill which is pervious to the processing fluids. At its lower end, the leaf spring 123 is mounted upon movable lever 85 which in turn is pivoted upon bracket 81 (FIGS. 13 and 19). At its upper end, lever 85 has a transverse pin 125 upon which a handle 126 is pivotally mounted and is provided with a spaced pin 127 mounting the upper end of a latch rod 128 in a toggle-like arrangement. This rod extends downwardly through an aperture in partition 129, within the lever confines, and terminates in an enlarged latch engaging member 139. Between the partition and the upper surface of this member a compression spring 131 is mounted.

For convenience in manufacturing `and interchangeability, the actuating means for both the front and rear clamps, as thus described, are preferably identical and the same references are accordingly applied to both structures. However, as 4an improved feature of the invention, the rear clamp 9 is provided with a special latch means permitting three separate locations of the clamp. This latch may include la member 132 pinned at 133 to bracket 81 and having a first limiting stop 134, .a second limiting stop 135, and a third limiting stop 136. In operation, as when finishing a generally tubular garment, such as a dress without vents near the hem, it is desirable to have the rear clamp completely out of the way in order to contribute to a prompt fitting and removal of the garment with respect to the bag. In this case, the operator may rapidly retract handle 126 and move the member 13G into engagement with the first stop 134, whereupon the clamp is retracted a substantial distance from the bag and form. In finishing a vented garment, such as an overcoat, the handle may initially rest in the position shown in FIG. 19, whereupon the hem of the coat falls between the clamp and form without snagging upon the clamp. With the garment in position, the operator may then retract handle 126 and push the lever 85 for-ward, meanwhile permitting member 130 to engage at the left of stop 136. During this action, leaf spring 123 is flexed causing the clamp to be held resiliently against the bag and form member 53.

Referring to FIG. 22, in the case of both front `and rear clamps, the recessed central portion 122 of the clamps permits processing fluids to pass through the apertures of the form support members, through the bag 100, the garment 161, and the clamp fabric 124, and to diffuse upwardly and downwardly through the recess in the clamp. In this way, substantially all of the clamped portion of the garment receives the same finishing treatment as the unclamped portion of the same garment.

With respect to the front clamp 8, a two position latch 140 mounted upon framework 80 may be employed asshown in FIG. and having a limiting stop 141 and forward and rearward guide surfaces 142 and 143, respectively. This latch is insertable into the framework 80 through the aperture provided therein for movement of the member 130` and may conveniently be rigidly attached to that framework as lby a weld deposit 137 or by a bolt. In finishing a buttoned coat for example, the operator places the coat in position on the bag with the proper setting of the shoulder arms `and then retracts handle 126 and pushes lever 85 forward until member 139 engages upon surface 142 to the right of stop 141, at: shown in FIG. 20. At this time the leaf spring of the front clamp 3 is flexed holding the clamp against the front support member 50 of the form. On the contrary, when member 130 is disengaged from stop 141, it may assume the latched second position by bearing upon the surface 143 and at this time the clamp is out of contact with the form.

As a significant feature, the front clamp S, in contrast to the rear clamp 9, is made longitudinally adjustable in order to permit a wide range of sizes and types of garments to be processed on the same finisher and without causing undesirable creases in coat lapels for example. As seen in FIGS. 3, 7, 8 and 21, the front clamp comprises an elongated paddle with side surfaces 120 and 121 joined by the recessed central position 122 and carrying a pair of upper and lower brackets 144 and 145, respectively. A clamp guide support 146 is pivotally `attached by a bracket 6 to the upper end of leaf spring 123 as seen in FIG. 3, and each of brackets 144 and 145 of that clamp is provided with a suitable abutment rod 147 and 148, respectively. Bearing against these abutment rods are resilient clips 149 and 150 respectively, interposed between those rods and the adjacent surface of the pivotable guide support 146 and having sufiicient compression strength to hold the front clamp at the selected position with respect to the clamp guide support.

It is to be understood that the operator, upon observing the size of garment to be finished, will normally slide the front clamp upwardly or downwardly on the clamp guide support to a selected position, prior to operating the lever 85. 'For the purpose of limiting the maximum range of movement of the clamp, the pivotable guide support therefor is provided with suitable obstructions 151 and 152 to the movement of the clamp. Preferably, these obstructions comprise outwardly extending portions of the clamp guide support against which the brackets on the clamp may abut (as shown in FIG. 21).

To enhance the adaptability of the finisher to use in large commercial establishments in which a large number of garments of the same type requiring no rear, or front clamp, or either clamp, is needed, there is provided a means for quickly removing or attaching these clamps to the form. As noted in FIGS. 3 and 4, either of the front and rear clamps may have lever 85 mounted in a special adaptor 160 rather than being mounted directly upon framework or bracket 81. In this modification, the lever may have a threaded bolt 161 (FIG. 5) extending outwardly from the region of the partition through which the rod is passed. The hollow adaptor 160 is pivota'lly mounted by means of a bolt passing through aperture 162 and extending into the walls of the appropriate framework 80 or bracket 81. Near its upper portion, the adaptor has a slotted cover 163 for receiving bolt 161, the latch engaging member meanwhile extending below the lower extremity of the adaptor. A simple Wing nut 164 engaging with bolt 161 exteriorly of cover 163 serves to permit rapid engagement or disengagement of the lever 85. Since this lever mounts the entire clamp, it will be seen that the finisher may be quickly modified by adding or removing the clamps as desired.

Whifle I have shown particular embodiments of the clamping features of the invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made. I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a garment finisher having a rotatable form enveloped by a distendable fiuid-pervious bag for supporting a garment :fitted thereon, said form including at least one elongated rigid support member having a row of spaced apertures therein permitting fluid within said form to pass outwardly through said support member, said member having spaced clamping surfaces along opposite sides of said row of apertures, a clamp rotatable with said form for holding said garment against said bag and said bag in turn against said member in the apertured region thereof, said clamp comprising `an elongated paddle having parallel spaced side surfaces adapted to be pressed against said member along said clamping surfaces thereof and being joined by an imperforate recessed central clamp portion for receiving and diffusing fiuid passing through a plurality of said apertures in said member, said bag and said garment, and a lever pivotally mounted upon said form and supporting said clamp, said lever being resiliently connected to said clamp for selectively adjusting the clamp into a first position in clamped relation to said form and into a second position in unclamped relation thereto.

2. In a garment finisher having a rotatable form enveloped by a distendable, fluid-pervious bag for supporting a garment fitted thereon, said form including at least one elongated rigid support member having a row of spaced apertures therein permitting iiuid within said form to pass outwardly through said support member, said member having spaced clamping surfaces along opposite sides of said row of apertures, a clamp rotatable with said form for holding said garment against said bag and said bag in tum against said member in the apertured region thereof, said clamp comprising an elongated paddle having parallel, spaced side surfaces adapted to be pressed against said member along said clamping surfaces thereof and being joined by an imperforate recessed central clamp portion for receiving and diffusing Huid passing through a plurality of said apertures in said member, said bag, and said garment, `a lever pivotally mounted rupon said form and supporting said clamp, said lever being resiliently connected to said clamp for selectively adjusting the same into and out of clamping relation to said member, a handle pivotally mounted upon said lever, a latch mounted upon said form, and a latch engaging member pivotally attached to said handle and movable into and out of engagement with said latch.

3. In a garment finisher having a rotatable form enveloped by a distendable, uid-pervious bag for supporting a garment fitted thereon, said form including at least one elongated rigid support member having a row of spaced apertures therein permitting fluid 4Within said form to pass outwardly through said support member, said member having spaced clamping surfaces along opposite sides of said row of apertures, a clamp rotatable with said form for holding said garment against said bag and said bag in turn against said member in the apertured region thereof, said clamp comprising an elongated paddie having parallel spaced side surfaces adapted to be pressed against said member along said clamping surfaces thereof and being joined by an imperforate recessed central clamp portion for receiving and diffusing fluid passing thro-ugh said row of apertures in said member, said bag, and said garment, means mounting said paddle for longitudinal movement along said member, frictional means attached to said paddle and engaging said mounting means whereby said paddle may be shifted with respect to its mounting and be retained in the shifted position by said frictional means, and a lever mounted upon said form and connected to said clamp mounting means for selectively adjusting the clamp into a lirst position in clamped relation to said form and into a second position in uncla-mped relation thereto.

4. In a garment finisher having a form enveloped by a distendable, fluid-pervious bag for supporting a garment fitted thereon, said form including at least one elongated rigid support member disposed within said bag;

clamp structure including a hollow lever pivotally mounted at its lower end upon said form, a handle pivotally mounted upon said lever adjacent the upper end of said lever, a latching rod pivotally mounted at one end upon said handle and journalled for movement downwardly within said lever, said rod havinl7 a latching element at its lower end, a latch mounted upon said form for engagement by said latching eflement, a clamp paddle, and means supporting said clamp paddle resiliently upon said lever, said clamp paddle being movable into clamping position against said support member when said lever is moved in a direction to engage said latching element against said latch.

5. ln a garment finisher having a form enveloped by a distendable, fluid-pervious bag for supporting a garment fitted thereon, said form including `at fleast one elongated generally vertical elongated rigid support member disposed within said bag; clamp structure including a hollow lever pivotally mounted at its lower end upon said form, a handle pivotally mounted upon said lever adjacent the upper end of said lever, a latching rod pivotally mounted at one end upon said handle and journalled for movement downwardly within said lever, said rod having a latching element at its lower end, a latch l mounted upon said form for engagement by said latching said latching element against said latch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,378,565 Locke et al. lune 19, 1945 2,425,194 Lendle Aug. 5, 1947 2,592,903 Jackson Apr. 15, 1952 2,948,443 Richterkessing et al Aug. 9, 1960 

